'A686 Penrith to Corbridge - A Great Drive'
Location : Penrith / Lathwathby / Melmerby / Alston
Map - Ordnance Survey - NY 646418 [Hartside pass]
The AA Magazine has chosen the winding A686 road from Penrith in Cumbria to
Corbridge in Northumberland, as one of their 'Ten Great Drives'. The 45 mile North Pennines route
features alongside more exotic stretches of road, including Highway 50 in the Nevada Desert and
the Alpine passes of the Evian to Nice road.
Travel journalist Phil Llewellin singled out the Cumbrian route. He said "England's great
wilderness sprawls across the northern Pennines, where the mountains have fascinating names
such as Fiend's Fell and Wildboar Fell. Penrith merits a visit after leaving the M6, and memories
of the motorway fade as the A686 crosses the River Eden valley. The mood changes dramatically in
Melmerby, where the road starts its long climb to the cafe at Hartside, 1900 feet above sea level,
with stunning views across the Solway Firth and Scotland.
"The road leads to Alston, which claims to be England's highest market town, a charming little
place with with cobbled streets and quaint buildings. The A686 beyond Alston crosses another
breathtaking expanse of windswept upland before running down to the River Allen's beautiful wooded
gorge."
Images produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service.
Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey.
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Penrith is a large town acting as a regional centre for the eastern Lake District, lying
just outside the National Park.
Once the capital of Cumbria, this attractive town is the hub of the Eden Valley.
It is an important shopping centre, with a good mix of traditional shops and sophisticated
arcades.
Penrith has a rich history. It was in the 9th and 10th centuries that the town became the
capital of Cumbria - a semi-dependant state which, until 1070 AD formed part of the Kingdom
of Scotland and Strathclyde. The two oldest streets, Burrowgate and Sandgate, date from the 13th Century.
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The Restaurant at The Village Bakery in Melmerby enjoys a reputation
for its good home cooking which makes use of produce grown on the 5 acre organic smallholding
behind the bakery. Some of the flour used in the cakes comes from the nearby
Little Salkeld Watermill.
Also in Little Salkeld is the Long Meg Stone Circle, one of the
finest in the North of England.
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From Melmerby, the road climbs the Hartside Pass to a height of 1904 ft, from where there
are magnificent views across the Solway Firth to Scotland. This long and steep climb also forms
part of the Sea to Sea Cycle Route.
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Next stop is the former coal, fluorite and lead-mining centre of
Alston, England's highest market town. The town's quaintness charms
visitors, many of whom are drawn to the pretty Turk's Head pub, dating from 1611.
Alston is the starting point for the South Tynedale Railway,
England's highest narrow guage railway.
Nearby is the village of Nenthead, where you can visit the Nenthead Lead Mining Heritage Centre.
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More beauty is waiting in the wooded gorge of the River Allen, before the drive switches to
the B6305, for the last stretch through the medieval town of
Hexham
with its famous Abbey,
to the great Roman site of
Corbridge, over the Tyne.
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| Hexham Abbey | Hexham Abbey & Moot Hall |
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| Low Hall, Corbridge | Vicar's Pele, Corbridge |
See OS map of the area.
For more links, including accommodation, see :
Page last changed 9 Feb 2006.
